Introduction
This website is created for the IB (International Baccalaureate) Standard Level Music Class as part of an Musical Links Investigation project. This website will outline the history of Debussy's encounter with Vietnamese traditional music, then attempt to highlight the characteristics of the two different music cultures specific to the genres I am exploring. The two pieces by Debussy are Voiles and Pagodes and the Vietnamese traditional piece is the Khong Minh toa lau. Then, I will explore how musical links such as the the way the melodies are developed and the ambiguity of the meter and pulse in both music cultures suggest that Debussy had been inspired by Vietnamese traditional music in his future compositions.
**NOTE**: The first two tabs of this website are trivial background information. The actual word count and content of the Musical Links Investigation begins on the third tab: "Critical Analysis: Finding the Links".
Website URL:
http://debussyvietnam.weebly.com/
Website URL:
http://debussyvietnam.weebly.com/
The Initial Encounter
The Exposition Universelle of 1889 in Paris
In 1889, the French government sponsored an extravagant exposition in commemoration of the hundredth anniversary of the French Revolution ("Exposition Universelle"). The exposition showcased brilliant advances in technology from the Industrial Revolution, and also exhibited various types of artwork from all over the world. In addition, there were musical ensembles representing all genres of music -- including famous European composers and even music from India, Indonesia, Vietnam, China, and other non-Western countries. It is here that Debussy was first exposed to non-Western music, most predominantly the Javanese Gamelan music from Indonesia (Fauser, 197). In 1926, Robert Godet recalled,
"Debussy spent extremely fruitful hours in the kampong javanais section, where he went countless times..." (Fauser, 198).
In some of Debussy's later works, it is evident that the Javanese Gamelan music had left its mark on the French composer. These influences have been accounted by many musical analysts in later years. However, there is little evidence that Debussy had been inspired by some of the other ethnic music groups -- the other musical cultures are actually barely mentioned in Debussy's account of the Exposition Universelle. For example, Debussy only briefly mentions Vietnamese music when he speaks of their music theater, about which he writes: "In Vietnamese Theater, one performs a kind of embryonic music drama [with a] tetralogical formula..." (Fauser, 196). However, upon examination, one can find prominent links between Debussy's later works and Vietnamese traditional music as well.
"Debussy spent extremely fruitful hours in the kampong javanais section, where he went countless times..." (Fauser, 198).
In some of Debussy's later works, it is evident that the Javanese Gamelan music had left its mark on the French composer. These influences have been accounted by many musical analysts in later years. However, there is little evidence that Debussy had been inspired by some of the other ethnic music groups -- the other musical cultures are actually barely mentioned in Debussy's account of the Exposition Universelle. For example, Debussy only briefly mentions Vietnamese music when he speaks of their music theater, about which he writes: "In Vietnamese Theater, one performs a kind of embryonic music drama [with a] tetralogical formula..." (Fauser, 196). However, upon examination, one can find prominent links between Debussy's later works and Vietnamese traditional music as well.
